It Was a Dark and Stormy Night
by Shadowjump
Summary: O'Neill's fishing trip doesn't turn out as planned.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters; they belong to MGM, etc. No money has changed hands, yadda yadda yadda. The opinions expressed in this fan fiction are the author's. Therefore, those opinions should not be taken seriously. This fan fiction is for entertainment purposes only. This fan fiction contains Jonas Quinn. If you don't like him, stop reading now. Turn back. This is your last warning.  
  
It Was a Dark and Stormy Night  
  
This had to be the worst storm of the year. First there had been near drought conditions for months and now this. The pouring rain and the rock hard ground were not making for a good combination. Tanner MacKenzie had just climbed into bed and turned out the lights when she heard what sounded like an elephant trying to knock down her front door. "Now what?" she muttered.  
  
Climbing out of bed and pulling on her robe, she padded barefoot down the stairs to the front door and turned on the porch light. "Who is and what do you want?" she yelled.  
  
"It's me, Doc. Travis," came the reply. "I got an injured man here that I need you to take a look at."  
  
Tanner unlocked the door and flung it open. "Travis, how many times have I told you? I'm a veterinarian, not a people doctor and he's a people. I mean, a person."  
  
"All the roads are washed out and you're the closest thing we got, Doc."  
  
"Oh, all right. Bring him in." She turned on the lights in the living room. Travis, the local deputy sheriff, half dragged a young man in the door. "Where did you find him?"  
  
"He was just wandering down the old logging road, Doc. I think maybe his car slid off the road." Travis was young, but not entirely stupid. At least he thought to bring the injured man to her instead of taking him into the town jail. "There's a torrential downpour out there."  
  
"Sit him down here, Travis. Let me get my things." Tanner disappeared into the other room. She came back with her little black doctor's bag, and a pan of warm water. She pulled a small flashlight out and shined it the man's eyes. He flinched slightly. "Looks like he's got a concussion. Was he alone?" Her doctor's instincts were taking over. She opened the man's jacket and started checking for broken bones.  
  
"I looked around, but I couldn't find a car or anything. He could have wandered for miles, Doc," Travis replied.  
  
"That's what worries me. He doesn't have any ID on him, just these dog tags and they don't tell me much. Not even a wallet. See this mark on the right side of his neck?" Travis looked closer and then nodded. "That's from the seatbelt. He wasn't driving. So unless he was just dumped out, there's someone else out there."  
  
"It's terrible out there, Doc. We'll never find him or her if we don't know where to start looking. The storm has washed away all the tracks."  
  
"I know, Travis, but we have to try. The driver could die if we don't find them. They might already be dead."  
  
"I'll contact the sheriff and see what he says. We may have to wait until the storm is over."  
  
"The driver may not have that long," Tanner replied. She worked to clean the man's face of mud. He wasn't bad looking and he didn't look like he had been on the run.  
  
"Well, our patient has a concussion, but no broken bones. He's going to have a killer headache in the morning. He doesn't look like a fugitive from justice."  
  
"What makes you say that?" Travis asked.  
  
"He's well fed and basically clean and he doesn't appear to be dehydrated. If he was on the run, he wouldn't be in this good of a shape."  
  
The man had seemed to be in a daze, the effects of the concussion. He was slowly starting to come back to life. His eyes drifted around the room, taking in his surroundings. His eyes came back to rest on Tanner's face. "Were am I? Who are you?"  
  
"My name is Tanner MacKenzie. I'm the local vet. You're sitting in my living room at the moment. What's your name? Do you know what happened?"  
  
The young man thought for a moment before speaking. "We were driving up a dirt road when it started to rain. It started to rain harder and then he couldn't see and the car started to slide."  
  
"Who couldn't see?"  
  
"The Colonel."  
  
"Colonel? What colonel? Do you know where he is?"  
  
The man just looked at her, but didn't really seem to see her. Then he just slowly shook his head.  
  
Travis thought he'd give it a try. "What's your name?"  
  
The man turned toward the new voice. "Jonas."  
  
"Jonas what?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"Leave him alone, Travis. He's got a concussion. He can't think straight. You need to call the sheriff and then get back to where you found Jonas. This colonel that he said was driving may be trapped in the car. If they were on that old logging road and the car went over the embankment, he could be in a lot of trouble. That's close to river. If the river starts to rise, he could drown or the car could be washed away before we find him. Now move it!" Tanner ordered.  
  
"Yes, ma'am." Travis gave a mock salute and started back to his car. He turned and called back to Tanner, "Doc, the phone lines are down and cell phone signals aren't getting out either. Radio signals are barely getting through. You're likely to be cut off for a while."  
  
"Thanks for the heads up, Travis," the young veterinarian called from the porch. After seeing Travis off, she headed back to her patient.  
  
"Well, Mr. Jonas. Let's get you out of those wet clothes. There isn't much I can do for a concussion, but you do need some rest." Tanner pulled Jonas off the couch and steered him toward the guest room.  
  
He just shuffled along, still in a daze. He stopped and then turned to look at Tanner. "What about the Colonel?"  
  
"Travis and the sheriff are going to try to find him, but it's going to be difficult with this storm. Now come on. Let's go."  
  
Tanner walked into the guest room and turned on the light. The lamp glowed softly by the bed. "Come on, off with those wet clothes. I'm a doctor. You don't have anything I haven't seen before," she joked.  
  
Apparently the joke was lost on Jonas. He just sat on the edge of the bed, looking at her blankly. He wasn't quite sure he wanted to take off his clothes in front of a woman he had just met. But, she had said she was a doctor. He started to take off his coat. Tanner helped him off with it, and then she walked across the hall to grab some towels. He was soaked to the skin and starting to shiver uncontrollably.  
  
"Are you stationed at Cheyenne Mountain?" she inquired.  
  
"How do you know about that?" he asked.  
  
"It's the only military base around these parts, unless you're from out of town."  
  
While Jonas removed his wet clothing, Tanner pulled a pair of pajamas out of the dresser drawer. "Here. These belong to one of my brothers. You look about the same size." She left so Jonas could have some privacy while he finished changing.  
  
She returned a few minutes later with a pot of tea and a cup. "I don't drink coffee, so you have to have tea to warm you up."  
  
"Tea is fine, thank you."  
  
"Come on. Get into bed. We need to get you warmed up." She turned back the covers on the double bed and plumped up the pillows.  
  
Jonas drank the tea, and then climbed into bed. Tanner tucked him in, retrieved his wet clothes, the empty teapot and cup. "I'll be back in a little bit to make sure you're all right."  
  
She turned around to ask if Jonas needed anything else, but he was already asleep. She smiled at how innocent he looked. Then she closed the door part way and went downstairs. 


	2. Dark and Stormy Night part 2

Disclaimer: See Part 1.  
  
It Was a Dark and Stormy Night part 2  
  
Tanner MacKenzie when downstairs with her empty teapot and an armload of wet clothes and towels. "I hope the sheriff can find this mysterious 'Colonel' before it's too late," she mumbled to herself.  
  
She busied herself with cleaning up her mess in the living room. After checking the door to make sure it was locked, she trotted back up the stairs. She peaked in to make sure Jonas was all right. His breathing was regular; always a good sign when one has a concussion. Tanner started down the hall when the phone rang. "I thought Travis said the phone lines were down?"  
  
She picked up the extension on her bedside table. "Hello?"  
  
"Doc? This is Sheriff Billings."  
  
"Hello, Sheriff. Have you started looking for the missing colonel?"  
  
"Yeah, Doc, we have. We found him too. He isn't in very good shape. Travis and I are going to bring him by your clinic. How's the other man?"  
  
"He has a concussion. Other than that, he's fine. He's asleep in the guest room now."  
  
"Your guest room, Doc? Running a motel now?"  
  
"What else was I going to do with him? Make him sit on the porch?"  
  
"Don't get testy, Doc. I'm just having a little fun. I know how you are with injured strays." The sheriff knew of Tanner's weakness for stray animals. That's part of the reason she became a vet in the first place.  
  
"What kind of injuries does this colonel have?" She wanted to be ready for when they got to the house. She wasn't set up for an injured person. She could lose her license for treating people, but like Travis had said, she was the closest thing the town had at this point.  
  
"I'm not sure, Doc. He's unconscious. I don't think anything major is broken, but he may have some internal bleeding. Oh, and he's got a gash on his head. Bleeding quite a bit too."  
  
"How long do you think it will be before you get here?" If he did have internal bleeding, hopefully she could stabilize him so they could get him to a hospital. They should probably contact Cheyenne Mountain to see if they were missing a couple of their people. "Sheriff? The two men may be from Cheyenne Mountain. You might want to check to see if they're missing anyone."  
  
"Good thinking, Doc. We should be at your place in about 10 minutes. See you then."  
  
After hanging up, Tanner checked on Jonas one more time, and then decided it would be a good idea to change into some clothes. Throwing on a pair of faded jeans and an old rugby shirt, she ran downstairs to her clinic. Her 'clinic' was a few rooms at the back of the house. The town was small and she made a lot of house calls. Very rarely did she have any major emergencies. Surgery on a person was a lot different than surgery on a dog or cat. Sure, the internal organs were in the same general area, but the similarities ended there. Hopefully, the colonel's injures wouldn't be life threatening.  
  
There was a pounding on the back door. She opened it too see Travis and Sheriff Billings with a blood-soaked man. "Bring him in. Put him on the table. Were you able to get through to Cheyenne Mountain, Sheriff?"  
  
"No, Doc. The storm is still playing havoc with the phones. How's he look?"  
  
Tanner did a quick exam of the prone form on the table. "Well, it doesn't look like anything is broken." She ran her hands lightly over the colonel's chest and abdomen. "No broken ribs. His belly is soft. That's a good sign."  
  
"Why is that, Doc?" Travis asked.  
  
"It means there isn't any internal bleeding. If he was bleeding internally, his belly would be hard." She pulled out her trusty flashlight and checked his eyes. "Pupils are equal and reactive to light. Another good sign." She then turned her attention to his scalp wound. "Here's where all the blood is coming from."  
  
"It is bad, Doc?"  
  
"Scalp wounds always look worse than they actually are." Tanner grabbed some gauze and pressed it onto the wound. After a few minutes, she peaked under it to see if the bleeding had slowed. It had. "Now, let's see had bad it is. Sheriff, would you hand me that bowl of water and that cloth? Thanks."  
  
She gently washed away the blood. "It's not too deep, but he's going to need a few stitches." She looked at the two police officers. "Unless you two have suddenly become nurses, how about getting out of my way?"  
  
"Grumpy as usual, eh, Doc?"  
  
"How pleasant would you be, Sheriff, if you were forced out of bed in the middle of the night and had not one, but two, injured men dropped in your lap?"  
  
"Well, Doc. I was awakened in the middle of the night and had two injured men dropped in my lap," the sheriff countered.  
  
"Oh, yeah. Sorry about that," Tanner apologized. She didn't like getting out of bed in the middle of the night even though it was commonplace for a veterinarian. "Well, anyway, you're still in my way. Now move!"  
  
"You going to be all right, Doc? I don't want to leave you with two strange men. They might be axe murders for all we know," Sheriff Billings asked.  
  
"I'll be fine, Sheriff. You and Travis can be on your way. If they give me a hard time, I'll just neuter them," she joked.  
  
Both men cringed. "Not funny, Doc. Not funny at all," Travis said, cringing again.  
  
Tanner closed and locked the door behind them when they left. Turning back to her patient, she said, "Well, Colonel. Let's get you patched up."  
  
After putting 10 stitches in Colonel O'Neill's head, she pulled out some smelling salts. "Let's see if I can wake you up enough to get you up to bed." Putting the small bottle under his nose, the results were instantaneous.  
  
"What the hell?" Jack nearly sat up straight, but the stabbing pain in his head told him it wasn't a good idea.  
  
"Take it easy, Colonel," came a woman's voice. "You've had a pretty good smack upside the head."  
  
"Where am I and how did I get here?" Jack didn't like surprises. He just wanted answers. "Who the hell are you?"  
  
"My name is Tanner MacKenzie. I'm a veterinarian and you are in my clinic. You were in a car accident. Do you remember what happened?"  
  
"I was driving up a logging road to a cabin. It started to pour down rain and the road got slippery. I couldn't see. Something, a deer maybe, jumped out in front of the car and I swerved and went over the bank. Wait. Where's Jonas? There was somebody else in the car with me!" Jack was starting to remember.  
  
"Take it easy. Jonas is fine. He's asleep upstairs. Speaking of which, I should go back up and check on him."  
  
"Was he hurt?"  
  
"He has a concussion, but it isn't serious. He just needs some rest. How are you feeling? Any nausea or dizziness?"  
  
"Just one hell of a headache," came the grumpy response.  
  
"I need to call you something other than Colonel. What's your name?"  
  
"Jack O'Neill, Colonel, USAF," came the response.  
  
"We need to get you out of those wet clothes. Come with me. You can sleep in the other spare bedroom." She led him upstairs. "Are you stationed at Cheyenne Mountain?"  
  
"What gave it away?"  
  
"It's the closest military base. When the storm is over, hopefully we can contact them and let your CO know that you two are all right."  
  
"Wait a minute. Didn't you say you were a veterinarian?"  
  
"Yes, I did. You were injured and I'm the closest doctor of any sort there is for about 50 miles. The storm has washed out several of the main roads and most of the back roads. There wasn't any way to get you to a hospital. Just be glad neither one of you was seriously injured." Tanner stopped outside the guest room. She quickly checked to see if Jonas was all right and then made her way over to the dresser. She pulled another pair of pajamas out and quietly walked out of the room.  
  
"Jonas is doing just fine. He should be better in the morning. You look like you could use some sleep too. Come on."  
  
Jack followed Tanner down the hall. She stopped at another door, opened it, and turned on the bedside lamp. "Come on, Colonel. Get out of those wet clothes. You can put these on." She handed him the pajamas.  
  
"Your husband's?" he asked.  
  
"Never married. They belong to one of my many brothers. You never know when one of them is going to show up. Now, quit stalling. Start taking off you clothes. I'll get you some towels." She gently pushed Jack into the bathroom, reached into the linen closet and pulled out some more towels. After handing the towels to him, she walked out into the hall and pulled the door shut behind her. "Let me know when you're done."  
  
After Jack had dried off and changed into the pajamas, he opened the door and walked into the spare bedroom. Tanner was busy turning down the bed. "I should let you do all my shopping for me. These are a perfect fit," he joked.  
  
"Comes from years of experience and seven older brothers," she retorted. "Now get in bed."  
  
"Yes, ma'am."  
  
"Good night, Colonel." 


	3. Dark and Stormy Night part 3

Disclaimer: See part 1. They still don't belong to me, darn it.  
  
It Was a Dark and Stormy Night Part 3  
  
Tanner was busy during the night. She had to keep checking on Jonas and Colonel O'Neill to make sure they were all right. Jonas wasn't happy about being awakened every few hours. Who would have thought he could be such a grouch? O'Neill wasn't much better.  
  
Jack awoke to hear birds singing and the first rays of sunshine peaking in the window. "Where am I?" he thought. As he tried to sit up, the pain in his head quickly reminded him. He got out of bed and looked around. Sitting on a chair in the corner of the room were his clothes, which had been washed and dried. His jacket was hanging on the bedpost. He quickly changed and went looking for his host, Tanner MacKenzie.  
  
"If I remember correctly, Jonas was in the room next to mine," he thought. The door was open, but Jonas wasn't there. "Wonder where he got off to?"  
  
He could hear a woman's voice coming from downstairs. It sounded like she was on the telephone. Jack quickly went downstairs. Tanner's back was to him.  
  
"Yes, General Hammond. Colonel O'Neill and Mr. Quinn are fine. Just a little banged up," she said. She turned around. When she saw Jack, she motioned for him to come to the phone. "Would you like to speak with the colonel, sir?" Tanner then handed the phone to Jack.  
  
"Good morning, General," Jack said. "Yes, sir. I'm fine. No, sir, I haven't seen Jonas this morning." Upon hearing his name, Jonas wandered in from the kitchen, eating a piece of toast and teacup in hand. Jack nodded to him. "He just walked in, General. He's bright eyed and bushy tailed as usual." The general said something on the other end of the line. "No, sir. Our car went over an embankment. Doctor MacKenzie was kind enough to treat our injuries and let us spend the night in her home. Yes, sir. I tell her that. Good-bye, sir." Hanging up the phone, Jack turned to Tanner and asked, "I don't supposed there's a car rental place anywhere around, is there?"  
  
"There might be one in the next town. There are only 300 people here in Spencer. Besides, the main roads where washed out last night. You wouldn't get very far."  
  
"Just our luck. Oh, General Hammond said to tell you how much he appreciates what you've done for Jonas and me."  
  
"No problem, Colonel. You two haven't been that much trouble, even if you are a couple of grouches."  
  
"And what is that supposed to mean?"  
  
"Don't tell me you don't remember trying to take my head off when I came in to check on you during the night?"  
  
"I did not. Did I?" She just gave him a look that said, "I don't make this stuff up."  
  
"Jonas was grouchy? He's never grouchy. A little grumpy once in a while, but never grouchy."  
  
"Want to bet?"  
  
Colonel O'Neill turned to Jonas and said, "You, grouchy?"  
  
Jonas just looked embarrassed. "I wasn't exactly myself last night."  
  
"Don't give him a hard time, Colonel. I didn't take it personally," Tanner replied. "Would you like some breakfast? I don't have any coffee, but if you really want some, I can run over the neighbor's."  
  
"I think I can live, just this once, without coffee. We need to come up with a way to get back to the base."  
  
"If the roads are clear, I could drive you back. Unless the general wants to send a car for you."  
  
"You'd do that?" Jack was starting to like this woman.  
  
"I wouldn't have offered if I hadn't meant it."  
  
"If it's no problem. Thank you."  
  
"Now, how about some breakfast before Jonas eats it all?" She strolled back into the kitchen. 


	4. Dark and Stormy Night part 4

Disclaimer: Nope. Still don't own anything. Not even close.  
  
It Was a Dark and Stormy Night Part 4  
  
After finishing breakfast, Tanner went outside to survey the damage. "Not too bad for the storm of the century," she thought to herself. There were a few tree limbs down, but nothing major. The neighbor's house across the road didn't look like it had been damaged either.  
  
As she finished up her tour of the yard and was heading back to the house, Sheriff Billings' car pulled into the driveway. The sheriff got out and said, "Good morning, Doc. How are your guests?"  
  
Tanner replied, "They're just fine, Sheriff. How're the roads?"  
  
"Not too bad. The main roads are all right, but the back roads are washed out. Not as much damage as you'd think after last night's storm."  
  
"Does this mean the colonel and Jonas can get back to their base?"  
  
"Looks like it, Doc."  
  
"I'm sure they'll be happy to hear it. Have you had breakfast yet?"  
  
"Not unless you've taken to drinking coffee," Billings replied. Tanner was well known in these parts for her love of the smell of coffee, but her dislike of the taste.  
  
"Nope, sorry. I could offer you a cup of really strong tea," she joked. She had a hard time trying to keep from laughing at the awful expression on the sheriff's face.  
  
"I think I'll pass this time, Doc. I should get back to the jail. Travis needs to get some sleep." With that said, he got back in his car and backed out of the drive.  
  
Tanner went into the house to see the colonel practically licking his plate clean. "You must be hungry. I'm not that good a cook."  
  
"Don't sell yourself short, Dr. MacKenzie," O'Neill responded. He had been hungry. He couldn't remember when he had eaten last, but it had been in the base commissary when he picked up Jonas for their fishing trip. When had that been?  
  
"I have some good news for you, Colonel. The sheriff says the main roads are clear and you can get back to Cheyenne Mountain."  
  
"Great. When can we leave?"  
  
"As soon as you two are ready. I have to call the doctor that fills in for me when I'm gone and then I'll be ready."  
  
Tanner made her call. O'Neill rounded up Jonas who had been sitting on the steps of the porch taking in the scenery. "It sure is pretty up here, Colonel," he said.  
  
"Yeah, it is. Too bad we didn't get to do any fishing while we were here. Dr. MacKenzie is going to give a ride back to the base."  
  
"Great. When do we leave?"  
  
"As soon as you get in the car. Let's go." The two men went back into the house. Tanner had a jacket and her keys in hand.  
  
"Ready to go?" she asked.  
  
"Yep and it looks like you're ready too."  
  
"Let's go then. You know, I was starting to get used to having you two around."  
  
"Go on, Doc. I'm going to start blushing."  
  
"I sincerely doubt that, Colonel. I'm sure you've never blushed in your life. Jonas, on the other hand, is a different story," she joked.  
  
"I'm not that bad," Jonas complained. "Am I?"  
  
"Come on. Let's go."  
  
The three climbed into Tanner's beat up jeep and headed for the highway. The trip back to Cheyenne Mountain didn't take as long as O'Neill would have thought, but it sure seemed like the good doctor knew her way to the base.  
  
"Have you ever been to Cheyenne Mountain, Doc?" O'Neill wanted to know how a small town veterinarian knew about secluded base in the first place. Jack was a little surprised by her answer.  
  
"I was stationed there a long time ago, Colonel."  
  
"You were in the military?" Jonas asked from the back seat.  
  
"Yes, I was, but that was a lifetime ago," came her vague response.  
  
"Don't want to talk about it, huh, Doc?" O'Neill was starting to wonder what the woman had to hide.  
  
"There isn't much to tell, Colonel. I was 18, my parents were dead, I couldn't afford to go to college, and had no place else to go. I wanted to see the world. And where did I end up? Smack dab in the middle of the Rocky Mountains."  
  
"Were you there the entire time you were in the, what, the air force?"  
  
"No. I was in the marines. I was there for about two years. Then I was transferred to San Diego. For the entire six years I was enlisted, I never once left the United States. I had to do that on my own." She sounded a little bitter.  
  
"How did you become a veterinarian?" Jonas asked.  
  
"I was too smart for my own good. I managed to get grants, a scholarship, a couple of loans and just a bit of luck. Veterinary school is harder to get into than regular medical school. After finishing my residency in California, I came to Spencer and took over for the town vet when he retired. I've been here ever since."  
  
Just then, they pulled up the closed gates of the base. "Well, gentlemen. Here we are."  
  
Colonel O'Neill handed his ID to the guard at the gate. They were then motioned through.  
  
General Hammond and Major Carter were walking toward them as the jeep stopped. O'Neill and Jonas climbed out and thanked the young veterinarian for her help.  
  
"Welcome back, Colonel, Jonas," General Hammond said.  
  
"Good to see you two in one piece," Carter said as well. She was happy to see her two teammates. The colonel had a neat row of stitches on his forehead and Jonas had a black eye. Other than that, they looked fine.  
  
"I want to thank you, Dr. MacKenzie, for taking good care of my people," Hammond said to Tanner.  
  
"No problem, sir. I couldn't have asked for a couple of better patients. Even if they were a couple of grouches," she replied.  
  
Carter turned to the colonel and Jonas and raised her eyebrow. Both men avoided her amused look. "Grouches, huh?"  
  
"Jonas was worse than I was," O'Neill countered.  
  
Tanner turned her jeep around and headed out the gate and back to Spencer. Jack and Jonas waved as she drove off.  
  
They were then taken to the base infirmary and Dr. Frasier checked them over thoroughly. "She did a nice job of stitching you up, Colonel. You're likely to have only a small scar when this heals up."  
  
"Gee, thanks, Doc."  
  
"I'm sure you have quite a story to tell, Colonel," General Hammond said as he walked into the room. "Jonas doesn't remember much other than a pretty young woman telling him to take his clothes off."  
  
"And did he, Sir?" Doctor Frasier asked.  
  
"You'll have to ask him, Doctor."  
  
  
  
~~ FINITO ~~ 


End file.
